A world where cars and other vehicles run without carbon emissions is not a pipe dream. Fuel cell technology allows autos to achieve performance that internal combustion engine driven cars currently give drivers, yet fuel cells, unlike gasoline engines, utilize hydrogen as a fuel source with only heat and water vapor as emissions.

A law is currently on the books that gives up to a $4,000 tax credit to purchasers of a qualified light duty fuel cell powered vehicle (cars are included in this category). But this law expires on December 31 of this year. Congress is currently considering extending the credit as part of a larger tax extenders bill, and it is very important that they do so if the dream of a world where your car isn’t spewing greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming and climate change is to become a reality.

Auto manufacturers like Toyota and Honda are poised to begin rolling out fuel cell powered cars as early as next year, and a tax credit would certainly help to boost sales of such cars – just the sort of encouragement that would help to ensure that fuel cell car production won’t be abandoned due to weak sales.

Efforts are underway to build an infrastructure for delivering hydrogen fuel, most notably in California, where the state last year awarded nearly $30 million to developers of hydrogen fuel infrastructure projects. Without large numbers of people driving fuel cell powered cars, such activity will come to a halt, and the world will be left where it was, driving us into a much less hospitable environment.

A bill has already passed the Senate Finance Committee, and awaits a vote on the floor of the Senate, so by adding your voice to this petition, fuel cell powered cars may find an easier road into our world.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Senator Reid,

Kudos to you, Senator Reid, in bringing S 1859 through committee; now it only needs to pass a vote on the floor so that this important bill can ensure that, among many other provisions, the future of fuel cell powered cars is not hampered by a reluctance on the part of consumers to buy one, due to the high prices such cars will likely command.

Current law makes provision for a tax credit for purchasers of fuel cell powered vehicles, but that will expire at the end of this year. Since fuel cell vehicles emit very little or no carbon, passage of this bill would be a big step toward curbing the increasing amounts of greenhouse gases that are being pumped into the atmosphere by the cars that have become a fixture in our society.

Muster as many votes as you can for this important legislation, and don’t let these tax credits expire.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo credit: qJake via Flickr

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